Journal

Christmas–Arizona Style

Nestled in the pines of Yavapai County’s central highlands, Prescott is one of my favorite places in Arizona, and this is the perfect time of year to share one of the many reasons it ranks so high on my list.

In addition to being Arizona’s first territorial capital, Prescott was designated “Arizona’s Christmas City” back in the late 1980s and does everything to live up to the name, with a multitude of parades and festivities. If you long for an old-fashioned Christmas, Prescott is the place to be!

Picture a perfect December evening, with just enough chill in the air to remind us it’s winter—but no slush or snow to trudge through. That’s what it was like last Saturday, when my family made our annual trek to the courthouse lighting ceremony, a tradition we’ve enjoyed for many years. And we were not alone.

On a normal evening, the courthouse plaza might look something like this—

But not on this special night. Even though we arrived over an hour before the festivities were scheduled to begin, a sizable crowd had already gathered . . . and continued to grow.

The roads surrounding the plaza were blocked off, and cars lined the curbs for blocks in all directions.

More people arrived, then still more, until the plaza was jam-packed, and the late arrivals spilled out into the adjacent streets. A choir made up of local schoolchildren took its place on the courthouse steps. Spotlights illuminated their eager faces as darkness fell, and they led the crowd in a medley of Christmas carols.

In this age of political correctness, standing shoulder to shoulder with a crowd of thousands singing songs that celebrate our Savior’s birth and listening to a reading of the nativity story from Luke 2 was a moment to treasure!

Without warning, the spotlights were turned off and the plaza plunged into darkness. Moments later, a multitude of tiny lights flashed on and the whole square blazed with color. In the midst of all the busyness of this season, Arizona’s Christmas City manages to take a moment to focus on the real reason we celebrate.

Wishing each one of you moments of quiet in which to reflect on that joyous Reason!